Sunday
05/10/20 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title:
“Moms:
and the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
Old Testament
Scripture: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
New Testament
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel Lesson: John
14:1-14
My friends, brothers and sisters, greetings once again on this our Fifth
Sunday of the Season of Easter. In the season of Easter, the common Easter
greeting of the church is, He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed. Alleluia!
In my young 38-years of life, I have been
to many church services on Mother’s Day, which is today, Sunday May 10th. I
have worshiped in and have led many services that have honored mothers and all
women, on this special day. This day is also not only special in the life of
the church, but throughout our entire country. On this day, we honor mothers, grandmothers,
and all the women in our lives that have loved us.
For many of us, our mothers were or are great sources of
strength and inspiration. For some though, this might not be the case, but I
can imagine there were and are women in your lives that were like mothers. Some
of these women were “adopted mothers.” No legal papers were signed, but you did
or do see this person as a mother. Some mothers legally adopted children or
fostered children. Not all mothers gave birth to their children, and all women
have mothered someone or something. If you have cared for animal, a plant, or
any living thing, then you have been a mother. As such, today and always, we
honor all mothers.
In our gospel of John lesson for this morning once again, it
says in 14:6:
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6, NRSV).
This
famous verse of scripture, which is one of Jesus’ famous “I Am” statements on
his Lordship, his authority, and on him being the savior of the world. This
morning, Jesus is telling us that the way of hope, love, peace, mercy, salvation,
and wholeness, is through him and him alone.
For
many of us, our mothers, or the mothering figures in our lives have or are still
teaching us many things. For many of us, our mothers, or the mothering figures
in our lives, showed us the ways to live, they taught us many truths, and they either
birthed us into life or gave us life in many ways. My mother Susan taught me
many ways to live, the ways of Christ, the truths of Christ, and not only
birthed me into life, but told me about the new life that is in Jesus Christ.
Some
mothers and mothering figures, help us find our way in life, teach us many
truths, and teach us about life, in general. Some mothers and mothering figures
do all of this, and in addition to all of this, they also pass the Christian
faith on to us. These mothers and mothering figures tell us about Jesus, who is
the way, the truth, and the life.
I also
do not think that on this Mother’s Day that our reading from 1 Peter 2:2-10 for
this morning, is a mistake. In this scripture we hear about infants and milk.
Peter of course is discussing our Christian faith, as our reading from 1 Peter 2
once again says:
“Like newborn infants,
long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if
indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pt. 2:2-3, NRSV).
So, in this scripture,
Peter is talking about faith in Christ, but I really find it interesting that
on Mother’s Day that Peter compares faith to newborn infants longing for milk.
Peter says new Christians long for pure, spiritual milk, and through this,
salvation in Christ. Peter says of the spiritual milk that is growing our faith
in Christ, like milk for babies, we can taste and see that the Lord is good.
Some infants these days
are fed baby formula, instead of the milk of there mothers, but many infants
are still fed the milk of there mothers. Without this milk, the baby might not
survive. Given this, on this Mother’s Day, it is so interesting that the
Apostle Peter is talking about new Christians drinking milk for spiritual nourishment.
Eventually as we grow in our faith, we move to the solid food of faith, as babies
also go from milk to solid food.
A new Christian grows in their faith
on spiritual milk, and a new baby grows physically on their mother’s milk. Just
as we are nourished by God, we are nourished by mothers and mothering figures.
If we were not given milk as babies, we would have never made it to solid food.
This why my sermon this morning is called,
“Moms: and the way, the truth, and the life.” Many moms and mothering figures
show us the ways to live, teach us the truths of life, give us life, and show
us the value of life. In a similar way, new Christians are nurtured with the
milk of faith.
Some of us, as I said, have blessed
with a mother or a mothering figure that showed us the way, the truth, and the
live in Jesus Christ. There is earthly life, and life eternal in Jesus Christ. The
Apostle Peter ends this reading for this morning, once again, reminding who we
are in Jesus Christ. Peter says:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the
mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once
you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pt. 2:9-10, NRSV).
Mothers and mothering figures have
shown us the way, the truth, and the life on Earth, and maybe even shown us the
way, the truth, and the life in Jesus Christ.
Now do not get wrong, fathers and
father figures are also immensely important in our lives to, but today is
Mother’s Day.
I
lamented when preparing for this worship service. This is my eighth Mother’s
Day as a pastor. Every Mother’s Day that I have been a pastor, Melissa has
helped me to get carnations or flowers. We put them in baskets each year and
ask the children to hand them out after the children’s message on the Sunday of
Mother’s Day. I was sad that we did not get these flowers, and that we cannot
give them out.
We of course cannot be together in
person this morning, and for those who’s mothers have passed on glory, you
cannot be with your mother or mother figure in person this morning either. Missing
your mom or mothering figure on this Mother’s Day is heightened therefore,
because we cannot be together in church at all.
Even though we cannot be in church in
person this morning, I would challenge us all to remember our mothers and the
mother figures in our lives. Look through those old photos, and if your mother
is alive, give her a call. We can still show love and remembrance for mothers
and mother figures, even during a quarantine.
While many of our mothers and mother
figures taught us the way, the truth, and the life, in this world, Jesus is the
ultimate truth. Jesus was God in the flesh on this earth, and he came to set us
free. Even in a Global Pandemic we can have peace and spiritual freedom through
Jesus Christ.
Let us look at our gospel of John
reading from 14:1-4 again for this morning. Once again it says:
“Do
not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I
have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I
am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going” (Jn. 14:1-4, NRSV).
Jesus tells us that he will prepare a
place for us in eternity with him. I read these words at many funerals that I
officiate, as Jesus reminds us the future of the faithful in him. We are reminded
that when someone we love dies in Christ, then they are with Christ for
eternity. This is a comfort to us, as we will see Christ again in glory. We
also be reunited with that person that we have lost in glory.
For many of us to, around Jesus
preparing a place for us in glory, we can also say that many of us could always
go mom’s house, or grandma’s house, or that mothering figure’s house in our
lives. We could go there no matter what, and we were loved as if we never left.
So many mothers, grandmothers, and mothering figures prepare a place for us. It
is so nice to go home, and Jesus is telling us that we have a home with him in
eternity.
The Apostle Thomas is confused by Jesus
just said, and the gospel then says:
“Thomas said to him,
“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said
to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him and have seen him” (Jn. 14:5-7, NRSV).
The same way that our birth
mothers gave us life through God’s power here on earth, and the way that many
mothers and mothering figures cared or care for us, taught us, and nurtured us,
Jesus is saying that he is the way to new life. This new life is here and now
and continues for eternity with him.
Jesus tells us to turn to him, to
repent of our sins to him, and take all our burdens, cares, and worries, and
place them in his shoulders. Jesus’ yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Come
unto him, lay your burdens down, open your heart to him, and live a life of
victory on this earth and eternally.
Once we know Christ, we are drinking spiritual
milk, and like a baby that grows, we then move onto spiritual food. The love of
Christ in us that we share, that we live, that we study in scripture, continues
through the power of the Holy Spirit, to transform us, and through us,
transform the world.
The Apostle Phillip then questions Jesus’
authority. Jesus respond saying:
“Have I been with you
all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has
seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that
I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do
not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then
believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who
believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater
works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask
in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you
ask me for anything, I will do it” (Jn. 14:9-14, NRSV).
Our mothers birthed us into life on this
earth, through the power of God. We were raised, taught, and nurtured, in part,
by mothers and mothering figures. Yet our new spiritual life and eternity comes
from Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one fully comes
to God the Father except through him.
Friends, brothers, and sisters, I pray
that on this day we might honor, remember, and uphold our mothers and mother
figures, as we also draw closer to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. On this
day, lets remember moms and all those special women in our lives, and let us remember
all that they have done for us. May we also seek Jesus Christ, who is the way,
the truth, and the life. Happy Mother’s Day. Amen.
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